Claire Ridgway
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Claire Ridgway
@claireridgway.bsky.social
1.3K followers 43 following 760 posts
Author, historian, Tudor history lover, owner of The Anne Boleyn Files and Tudor Society, loves talking Tudor and transporting people to the past. Also dog lover, cat lover, fitness fanatic and veggie.
https://linktr.ee/claireridgway
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Dragons spitting fire. Masked dancers. Morris dancers. Henry VIII turning up in disguise…
Twelfth Night at the Tudor court was absolute chaos, and pure magic.

Catch the full story on my YouTube channel.
#TudorChristmas #TwelfthNight #HenryVIII #TudorHistory #ChristmasHistory #HistoricalFacts
December 8, 2025 at 4:22 PM
claireridgway.bsky.social
Forget early Christmas trees, the Tudors decorated only on Christmas Eve, with greenery full of symbolism, myth… and even protection from witches!

And leave a single leaf up after Candlemas? Goblins, apparently…

#TudorChristmas #ChristmasHistory #MedievalChristmas #ChristmasTraditions
December 7, 2025 at 10:50 AM
claireridgway.bsky.social
Santa didn’t start at the North Pole,
Meet St Nicholas, the Boy Bishop, and the real roots of Santa Claus.
And no, Coca Cola didn’t invent the red and white Santa!

#StNicholas #SantaClausHistory #TudorChristmas
#MedievalHistory #ChristmasTraditions #BoyBishop
#AdventSeries
December 6, 2025 at 4:18 PM
claireridgway.bsky.social
When the Yule log crackled, the Tudors grabbed dice, cards and board games! Their Christmas was loud, competitive and full of laughter. #TudorTok #ChristmasHistory #TudorGames #tudorpastimes
December 4, 2025 at 10:05 AM
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Tudor gifts weren’t festive… they were political.

New Year’s Day at Henry VIII’s court was ALL ambition, drama, and very elegant bribery.

#TudorHistory #TudorNewYear #HenryVIII #AnneBoleyn #TudorChristmas
December 3, 2025 at 12:02 PM
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It’s December already, and that means Tudor Advent fun begins!
Enjoy a new historical treat every day until Christmas Eve on The Anne Boleyn Files (or on YouTube!).
Start the countdown here:
www.theanneboleynfiles.com/2025-anne-bo...

#AdventCalendar #TudorChristmas #TudorHistory
2025 Anne Boleyn Files Advent Calendar - The Anne Boleyn Files
I can't quite believe that it's been a year since I was posting about the last Advent calendar, but here we are in December 2025 already! As always, I've got some Tudor history treats in store for you...
www.theanneboleynfiles.com
December 1, 2025 at 2:32 PM
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Treat yourself to a Tudor feast:
My Tudor History Bundle includes 17 talks from Tracy Borman, Nathen Amin, Nicola Tallis, Gareth Russell, Matthew Lewis...

Instant access. Lifetime replay. 2 full events.
All for $50 instead of $100 — until 28 Nov.

Perfect for cosy winter evenings.
bit.ly/4p9AgRk
Special Thanksgiving Tudor History Bundle - Claire Ridgway
Celebrate this Thanksgiving with two of our most popular Tudor history events — now together for just $50! Thanksgiving Offer Ends: 28 November 2025 Get Both Replays for Just $50…Continue readingSpeci...
claireridgway.com
November 26, 2025 at 3:04 PM
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#OTD in 1542: Robert Radcliffe, Earl of Sussex, died at Chelsea. From a father accused of treason to Henry VIII’s trusted Lord Great Chamberlain, he survived the dangers of Tudor politics in remarkable style.
www.tudorsociety.com/robert-radcl...

#tudors #tudorhistory #henryviii #OnThisDay
Robert Radcliffe, 1st Earl of Essex - Quite the Tudor Survivor - The Tudor Society
On this day in Tudor history, 26th November 1542, Robert Radcliffe, 1st Earl of Sussex and Lord Great Chamberlain of England, died a natural death at Chelsea, no mean feat for a man who served King He...
www.tudorsociety.com
November 26, 2025 at 12:01 PM
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Born #OTD 1467: Thomas Dacre, 2nd Baron Dacre of Gilsland — border lord, soldier, and key figure at Flodden with his famous cry, “A red bull!” Discover the man behind the legend:
www.tudorsociety.com/thomas-dacre...
Thomas Dacre, 2nd Baron Dacre of Gilsland, the Red Bull of Flodden - The Tudor Society
On this day in Tudor history, 25th November 1467, Thomas Dacre, 2nd Baron Dacre of Gilsland, was born in Cumberland. Dacre would become one of the most powerful northern magnates of Tudor England, but...
www.tudorsociety.com
November 25, 2025 at 11:30 AM
claireridgway.bsky.social
On this day in 1558, James Bassett died at just 32.
Scholar, exile, diplomat, loyal servant to Mary I & Philip of Spain, yet barely remembered today.
His remarkable story says so much about Tudor faith & politics.
www.tudorsociety.com/james-basset...
#Tudors #TudorHistory #MaryI
James Bassett - The Tudor courtier you've never heard of - The Tudor Society
On this day in Tudor history, 21st November 1558, just days after Elizabeth I's accession, courtier James Bassett died at Blackfriars, London, aged just about thirty-two. Bassett had been a devoted se...
www.tudorsociety.com
November 21, 2025 at 3:27 PM
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He wrote a Julius Caesar before Shakespeare, preached to Elizabeth I, and was chosen to help create the King James Bible. Meet Richard Edes, who died on this day in 1604...
www.tudorsociety.com/richard-edes...

#OTD #OnThisDay #TudorHistory #KingJamesBible
Richard Edes - The Tudor Scholar Who Died Before Making History - The Tudor Society
On this day in history, 19th November 1604, one of the most gifted churchmen of Elizabethan and early Jacobean England died. His name was Richard Edes, Dean of Worcester, royal chaplain, poet, playwri...
www.tudorsociety.com
November 19, 2025 at 11:39 AM
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On this day in Tudor history, 13 Nov 1537, Queen Jane Seymour, Henry VIII’s beloved third wife & mother of Edward VI, was laid to rest.
Her final journey was grand, her resting places… two.

www.tudorsociety.com/queen-jane-s...

#JaneSeymour #HenryVIII #TudorHistory
Queen Jane Seymour's funeral and resting places - St George's Chapel and Hampton Court Palace - The Tudor Society
On this day in Tudor history, 13 November 1537, Jane Seymour, third wife of King Henry VIII and mother of King Edward VI, was laid to rest in St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. Jane had died on 24th ...
www.tudorsociety.com
November 13, 2025 at 1:04 PM
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Ever imagined medieval London as a hub of books, printers & ideas?
Toni Mount takes us inside the bustling book trade around St Paul’s, and introduces her new Sebastian Foxley mystery, The Colour of Darkness!
bit.ly/4hZO2TB
#historicalfiction #medievalmystery #tonimount #sebfoxley
Inside the Book Trade of Late Medieval London - Guest Post by Toni Mount - The Anne Boleyn Files
A warm welcome to historian and historical novelist Toni Mount, who's joining us today as part of the book tour for her novel, The Colour of Darkness, the thirteenth Sebastian Foxley medieval murder m...
bit.ly
November 13, 2025 at 10:10 AM
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On this day in 1555, Queen Mary I’s Parliament passed the Second Statute of Repeal, restoring papal authority and undoing decades of religious reform.
For three brief years, England was Catholic again.
Read more www.tudorsociety.com/mary-i-turns...

#MaryI #TudorHistory #OnThisDay
Mary I turns back the clock decades - The Tudor Society
On this day in Tudor history, 12th November 1555, with the passing of the Second Statute of Repeal, Queen Mary I turned back the religious clock decades. This Parliamentary act abolished every piece o...
www.tudorsociety.com
November 12, 2025 at 3:56 PM
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He was the darling of Elizabeth I's twilight years, but he ended up on the scaffold...
www.tudorsociety.com/robert-dever...
Robert Devereux - He dared to betray his queen - The Tudor Society
On this day in Tudor history, 10th November 1565, Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, was born. This great-grandson of Mary Boleyn and stepson of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, rose from ambitious ...
www.tudorsociety.com
November 10, 2025 at 1:34 PM
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Six wives. Two executions. One king.
Explore the real Henry VIII and the women who shaped — and suffered — his reign.
Henry VIII & His Six Wives - 9 expert talks from 6 historians. Instant access.
Bonus: get The Rise of the Tudor Dynasty replays free with it.
claireridgway.com/special-than...
November 7, 2025 at 4:18 PM
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On this day in 1565, Sir Edward Warner — soldier, courtier, and twice Lieutenant of the Tower — died in Norfolk.
He guarded rebels, queens, and even let one prisoner, Lady Katherine Grey, get pregnant under his watch!
www.tudorsociety.com/sir-edward-w...
Sir Edward Warner - From the Tower’s Lieutenant to its Prisoner - The Tudor Society
On this day in Tudor history, 7th November 1565, Sir Edward Warner, soldier, courtier, Member of Parliament, and twice Lieutenant of the Tower of London, died at his Norfolk home. He fought in Scotlan...
www.tudorsociety.com
November 7, 2025 at 2:49 PM
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I’m so thankful for this Tudor community 💕
To celebrate, I’m offering both The Rise of the Tudor Dynasty & Henry VIII and His Six Wives replays for $50 total — hours and hours of expert talks you can watch anytime!
Ends 28 November.
claireridgway.com/special-than...
Special Thanksgiving Tudor History Bundle - Claire Ridgway
Celebrate this Thanksgiving with two of our most popular Tudor history events — now together for just $50! Thanksgiving Offer Ends: 28 November 2025 Get Both Replays for Just $50…Continue readingSpeci...
claireridgway.com
November 5, 2025 at 2:24 PM
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#OTD in Tudor history, 4 November 1551, theologian and scholar John Redman died of consumption. He served both Henry VIII and Edward VI, striving to reconcile faith, scholarship and conscience in a divided England.
www.tudorsociety.com/john-redman-...
#TudorHistory #OnThisDay
John Redman - Theologian, royal chaplain and scholar - The Tudor Society
On this day in Tudor history, 4th November 1551, theologian, royal chaplain, and scholar John Redman, the first Master of Trinity College, Cambridge, died of consumption. Redman was one of Tudor Engla...
www.tudorsociety.com
November 4, 2025 at 3:49 PM
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It's the last day to register for "The Other Tudors", a completely online, interactive, nine-day event with five historians. Do join us in exploring the stories of these often neglected Tudor people...
claireridgway.com/events/the-o...
November 2, 2025 at 5:03 PM
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Time’s almost up!
Save $50 when you join The Other Tudors, my 9-day online event uncovering the forgotten figures who shaped the Tudor world.
Use code EXTRAEB before the early bird ends tomorrow!
claireridgway.com/events/the-o...
November 1, 2025 at 6:50 PM
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#OTD in 1566, Elizabeth I's former tutor Roger Ascham wrote a letter to his queen, a letter that has been twisted by Baconians to be proof that Elizabeth had a secret lovechild with Robert Dudley...
www.theanneboleynfiles.com/did-elizabet...
Did Elizabeth I Have a Secret Child with Robert Dudley? - The Anne Boleyn Files
On this day in Tudor history, 30th October 1566, Queen Elizabeth I's former tutor, Roger Ascham, wrote a letter to his queen. It was a long, heartfelt letter of praise and moral guidance, but centurie...
www.theanneboleynfiles.com
October 30, 2025 at 10:25 AM
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Exciting news! Historian & author Nathen Amin (Son of Prophecy, House of Beaufort) joins The Other Tudors: The Forgotten Figures Who Shaped a Dynasty!
To celebrate, the Early Bird offer is extended until 2 Nov — save $50 with code EXTRAEB.
See claireridgway.com/events/the-o...
The Other Tudors: The Forgotten Figures Who Shaped a Dynasty - Claire Ridgway
A Nine-Day online deep dive into the Forgotten Tudors and Their Lasting Legacy. Place: Online, here! Dates: 7 - 15 December 2025 Price: $129 Early Bird Special Price (save $50!)…Continue readingThe Ot...
claireridgway.com
October 29, 2025 at 4:11 PM
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#OTD in 1526, Bishop Cuthbert Tunstall burned Tyndale’s English New Testaments at Paul’s Cross, hoping to crush heresy.
But buying up copies to burn only funded Tyndale’s next, better edition. Oops!
Censorship vs print? Print won.
bit.ly/3Wm9Kr5

#bookburning #Reformation #Tyndale
When book-burning backfires - The Tudor Society
On this day in Tudor history, 27th October 1526, Bishop Cuthbert Tunstall presided over a book burning at Paul's Cross in London. The goal was to stop heresy, and in order to do this, he'd ordered the...
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October 27, 2025 at 3:02 PM
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On 12 Oct 1537, Jane Seymour gave Henry VIII his longed-for son, but within 12 days, the queen was dead.
Was it childbed fever, food poisoning, or something else entirely?
I look at what really killed her...
www.theanneboleynfiles.com/jane-seymour...
#sixwives #janeseymour #tudors #tudorhistory
Jane Seymour's Death - What killed her? - The Anne Boleyn Files
On 12th October 1537, when Jane Seymour gave birth to Henry VIII's long-awaited son, England rejoiced. Bells rang and bonfires blazed. Sadly, just twelve days later, that joy turned to sorrow when the...
www.theanneboleynfiles.com
October 24, 2025 at 11:35 AM